i own nothingi hate spelling
i love DMHG
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chapter 1 - misunderstandings

A cool morning breeze sweept through the tress, bringing the first feelings of fall on an otherwise beautiful august morning. The birds sang in the trees and in the distance the sound of traffic on the busy streets was beginning to build. The world didnt seem to notice that in one girls life this would be remembered as a very black day. A small crowd gathered in the tiny cemetary at the edge of town to pay their last respects.

Hermione was dressed in modest black clothing. He face was calm as she watched her father and mother lowered into the ground. All around her was a blur and time seemed to fly by. The priest said a prayer and before she knew it she was being gently led by the arm by the oversized groundskeeper Hagrid, to an awaiting car to take her to Hogwarts, as Professor McGonagall had arranged. Hagrid opened up her door and she was about to step inside when she saw a flash of blonde in the distance. She looked and saw Draco Malfoy in black robes standing far enough away to look like a visitor to another grave, but he was staring right at her. They locked eyes for what seemed like an eternity. She hated him more than words could describe. All of this, everything was his fault. His cold and blank eyes bore into her like a screw, ripping up her already fragile state.

"Hermione" said a ruff voice

She turned and looked at Hagrid as he motioned for her to get into the car. She glaced back to where he stood, but noone was there. She got into the car and Hagrid closed the door behind her.

1 week earlier

Hermione had just gotten off the train from shopping in Diagon Alley with the Weasleys for her final year at Hogwarts. It was the first time they had been shopping without Harry sience their second year and it was hard to imagine life without him at school. He had gone off for the summer to look for clues on the Horcruxes and wasent sure if he would be returning or not. He had told Hermione he had to do what felt right, and what felt right was ending this war now before it got worse. Harry couldent live with himself if more people died from this war because he wanted to finish school before he joined in the frey. He felt responsible for everything, especially Dumbledores death at the end of the last school term. He said it didnt feel like Hogwarts without him anyway. Hermione tried to reason with him that he needed to learn more and hone his skills before he tried to take on Voldemort again, but all she got was a promise that he would 'think about it.'

She walked the path to her house in quite contemplation. Ron was so nice to her all day, he even offered to take her out to lunch and he bought her some new quills, but he never even offered to hold her hand, let alone go on a real date with her. After last year she thought their relationship would improve but it seemed that he was still not quite sure of what he wanted, or perhaps just too shy to go right out and ask her. Hermione swore to herself for thinking of such silly things at a time when Harry was quite possibly in mortal danger and shes off frollicking in Diagon Alley trying to get a date. She decided not to dwell on things and wait and see what happens when the term started, and enjoy the time with her family while she could. She turned the corner and was almost to her house when all of the air in her lungs seemed to disappear, over her house...the dark mark.

She dropped her bags and pulled out her wand, running at top speed twords her house, her heart in the throat as she tried to remember all the disarming and binding spells she had seen of the pamphlets the ministry sent out to all wizarding families. For the life of her she couldent think of a single one, all she could do was run. She approached her front door which seemed untouched. She reached for the handle, it was unlocked. As quietly as she could she let herself in and listened. She could her the television on in her fathers study, she smelled a roast in the oven, but she couldent hear her parents. Hermione crept through her entryway and down the hallway to the kitchen as quietly as she could. Holding her wand ready she edged around the corner. She tried to quite her breathing to no avail. Her heart was pounding harder than she thought possible, Slowly she edged herself forward, she still couldent remember those spells.

When she reached the kitchen she saw her mother and father, dead, lying on the floor, their faces etched in agony, and standing over them was Draco Malfoy. He jumped when he noticed her presense in the room. His face was pale and his eyes were red, his wand was pointing at the dead bodies.

"Granger?" he said, shock in his voice, his eyes met hers, then down to the bodies on the floor, then back to hers. "Granger, I didnt know.." but Hermione didnt let him finish was he had to say. Her heart was filling with rage, rage she never felt before. Pure hatred for the man standing over her slain parents. She tried to think of curses, but none crossed her mind, all she wanted to do was to kill this man who had killed her parents. Her wand shook violently as she pointed it at Malfoy. She had given him the benefit of the doubt, all these years. She knew he was rotten but she never considered him dangerous. Even last year, she just thought he made a mistake, was a victim of brainwashing...she never thought he could really kill.

"Leave" she said, through her clenched teeth, as her finger nails dug into the palm of her hand, letting drops of blood escape her skin and drip down to the floor.

"you dont underst-" Draco threw his hands up and his wand to the ground.

"LEAVE" she screamed, tears streaming down her face, shaking uncontrollably.

"Granger i didnt-" he was pleading stammering over his words.

"LEAVE, LEAVE,LEAVE..." she kept screaming finally stepping towards him, wand still pointed at his chest, her face was red, her eyes were burning, she hated him, she wanted him gone, she didnt want to hear his voice, she didnt want to look at his face, she just wanted him out of her house, away from her parents, away from her.

Draco opened his mouth to protest more, but decided better of it. He slowly walked around the room, then when he reached the front hallway, turned and walked out the front door, leaving his wand lying in a corner.

Hermione sank to her knees, the anger flowing out of her and being replaced with grief, heavy and painful grief that filled every inch of her body and yet, made her feel hallow. She let her pain out in sobs that racked her body, forcing her into a crumpled heap between the bodies of her mother and father.

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Draco Malfoy walked away from the house, not looking back, but the screams of pain and sorrow could be heard echoing over the suburban streets. Dogs were barking and people in nearby houses were stirring to see what the comotion was. He just kept walking, he needed to get away. He didnt know where he would go, or what he would do, but he couldent go back, he couldent go back home, he just had to keep moving.

He walked for what seemed like hours, the suburban landscape became more barren but he didnt notice anything. Everything around him was a blur, the nights events playing over and over in his mind. The evil laughter from his fellow deatheaters rang in his ears. His mark burned, he was being called, but he didnt care, he just didnt care what happened to him anymore, it was all a dream, none of this had happened. The ground under his feet started to crunch, then he finally realized that the paved road had turned to dirt, and that he was in the middle of nowhere, with no wand, and no where to go.

"Draco" came a voice from the darkness, a voice he knew all too well. Draco stopped and turned around, standing in the road behind him stood Severus Snape, a deatheater, a teacher, he didnt know anymore. He knew he would be dead soon. He knew that his life was over, now that he had abandoned Voldemort and betrayed Hogwarts and the Order. Hermionees screems rang through his head and he realized that he deserved everything he got. He was dirt, he was a traitor, he was everything he thought he was fighting against. He had chosen the wrong side, he was wrong in everything he once thought was fact.

"Draco" came Snapes voice again.

He wanted to run, but he knew that nothing he could do could help him escape, he has to face this like a man. "If im to be killed, kill me now." He said with his chin held high. He felt like garbage, but he did feel proud that he realized his errors before he died, even if it was too late to rectify anything.

"Draco, your to go to Hogwarts immediately, its the only place for you to be safe. Ive arranged it already with Professor McGonagal. Shes awaiting you in her office and has droped the barriers and enchantments, but only for a short while, so you must hurry" He spoke calmy but quickly, urgency comming across loud and clear, but it was all so confussing, why would Snape be talking to McGonagal, especially after he killed Dumbledore?

"I dont understand, what about Volde-"

"HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMMED" shouted snape, his eyes buldging and his lips shaking. "Hes after you and quite possibly me at this very minuite. He knows you have betrayed him and you will not live if you dont heed my words and go to Hogwarts, here" he thrust Dracos wand at him.

"But, I left this want at Grangers, ive decided i dont want to use magic for evil anymore" Dracos head was reeling, nothing made sense, and nothing made the pain go away, the pain he saw in Hermiones eyes.

"Remus Lupin gave it to me, he and the others in the Order have removed Miss Granger from any harm for the time being. Your wand was recovered and after some...tests, i was sent to return it to you to have you apparate to Hogwarts, thats all i know and all i can tell you, now go, Professor McGonagal can help you figure out the rest im sure" He looked draco in the eye for a second before turning and walking the opposite way down the road.

"Snape I, I dont know what to say..." Draco realized just how tired he was, and how emotional his voice sounded.

"GO, and Draco, be careful" With a nod snape turned on his heals and was gone.

Alone in the dark Draco tried to place all the pieces of the night together but to no avail. He gazed down at his wand, his useless wand that if given his way he would never see again, but Snape was right, he had to go to Hogwarts, even if he was awaiting the ministry and Azkaban, it was better than standing in the middle of nowhere waiting for the dark lord to come and kill you. Draco thought of the Headmistresses office, turned his heels and was gone.